Luna's Lament
by Darking Girl
Summary: Set at the end of Luna's third year we see how she needs a friend and that fateful meeting with Mr. Potter on the Hogwarts Express.


This has been an idea that has been a floating around my mind for quite a while now, and, since it is summer I have finally got round to doing it.

All I can say is enjoy! and, that I own nothing (obviously). Oh yes, and that I gave in, I wrote something to do with Harry Potter when I said to myself that I wouldn't. Never mind.

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Luna Lovegood was quite certain that she did not fit in. Not just within Hogwarts but within Ravenclaw too. Indeed she was clever, (or she would not have been situated within that very house by the Sorting Hat) she was one of the first within her year to complete the Levitation spell, but, when it came to more sundry topics, she was not so lucky.

When so ever she passed students within the corridors she could see hands drawn to faces and a soft utterance of giggles, dare I say, sniggers.

She was not at all blind to this. She simply chose to ignore it. What else could she do? She detested the fact that she was locked away within her own head from the others. They stared so very much and laughed when she spoke that soon she withdrew within herself. Not a day passed without this occurrence.

On a particularly bad day Luna hurried away to a room no one ever entered. During the day it was a lesser used classroom, but, in the evenings, it was simply hers. Luna had been able to keep up her façade of ignoring people for the past three years, but the term ended soon. As usual her belongings had been taken and hidden throughout the halls. She locked the door with a wave of her wand (it wouldn't deter any one, but it gave her a false sense of security), and sat down on a chair. Slowly tears started to fill her oversized eyes. It had reached an all time low. No one spoke to her at all now. She was as despised as Moaning Myrtle. They had reached the same level, for she to had been renamed. She was now known as simply Loony Lovegood.

Luna was never entirely sure why she was called this. It wasn't like she did anything particularly wrong. Well, sure she wore a necklace of Butterbeer corks, kept her wand behind her left ear for safe keeping (but then she was right handed so it was ideally placed for usage), and gave off an aura of distinct dottiness. Not to mention that she never blinked. People always throughout this was an endearment of hers, but in fact it was to stop the tears that were always in her eyes from falling. But that didn't make her strange. Not in the eyes of her family at least. They found her a strong girl, especially since the death of her mother.

Once sat down, Luna forbid herself to cry. The tears stayed within her lids. She withdrew the wand from behind her ear and from within her bag grabbed a sheaf of parchment. The top most one bore the legend 'Please Return' on closer look one would be able to see that it was a plea for pupils to return her missing books and clothes which had been taken in 'jest'. Luna used her wand to multiple these words onto the others sheets so they could be placed around the school. With this done Luna looked at what was missing. Her school books (thankfully not her diary though which was disguised as a rather large bean), some shoes, her school scarf, a few of her favourite robes embroidered with runes, her charm to keep away the Blibbering Humdinger and a picture of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack (unfortunately only an artists impression, but precious never less). Alas! What was most dear to her in all the world had been taken, the only picture she had of her mother. School would not be worth going to if she did not have it. What would be the point? Oh why had she not put it back in her diary as usual instead of leaving it in her robe pocket?

With this done Luna set of around school. She placed her poster on each notice board and then went to the Great Hall to eat some pudding.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

After the head master had said his final words everyone left. Luna slowly walked to the dorm she shared with three extremely giggly girls that rarely spoke to her.

Thankfully, there upon her bed covers lay her missing items. This always happened.

Quickly she searched within the pocket of one robe and found her picture. She held it to her chest. Her mother 'hugged' back.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

"Well done" said Dumbledore to a collection of house elves in his office, "and thank you" he added.

"For me and her".

ooooooooooooooooooooo

The school holidays passed in a daze. Luna was now to enter year four at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The day before Luna was to leave on the train, Luna sat staring out of her bedroom window, "wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure" she softly sang to herself, "wit is very precious" she mused, "but it doesn't make up for friends". She sunk back into silence.

"Luna! We need to leave now!"

"Coming!"

ooooooooooooooooooooo

As she climbed on to the train she sensed a change. A small sigh issued from her lips. No more. No less. Hands once more rose to lips. Eyes followed her through the corridor making perfectly sure that she was not going to sit with them. But how could she sit? Students consciously made themselves bigger so that there were no spaces. Yet she could not ignore the fact that the person behind her was welcomed with 'heys' and many seats to choose from. Once more that day she wished that she had a friend. It would make school and learning so much more bearable.

This happened in almost every carriage of the train she passed through. Well, except from the end one. Only because there was no one in it. She sat down and settled herself in. Reaching into her bag she found something that made her smile. As always her father had supplied her with a copy of the Quibbler. And there was the message in the front. _Luna _he wrote _people always fear the unknown. Don't be unknown. Be heard through what you say and what you do. And through what you write! Then it will no longer be unknown! _

She giggled. Nothing he ever wrote helped her in the slightest. But it did make her feel alive and loved. With one last small smile she settled down to read the magazine and pass the journey in solitude.

She had just reached a particularly interesting part on page fifty seven where one was able to see different meanings to runes when they were upside down, when she heard voices from the door. A boy, by the sound of his voice did not want to enter her carriage. "Good" she thought to herself "find somewhere else!". But then she heard something that made her eyes fill, "there's room in this one, there's only Loony Lovegood in here". Those cruel words were emitted from a girl. She heard the door open but kept her face hidden behind her hair. The door closed again. And then opened again.

"Hi Luna, said the female voice " is it OK if we take these seats?"

She looked up and surprise filled her features. Her eyebrows shot up and her eyes grew to their biggest to stop the tears flooding her magazine. It was Ginny! A girl who had always been relatively nice. Not one of the really mean ones, but she had uttered that name which in turn caused her this great pain. Suddenly the word 'we' registered. She looked behind Ginny's bright hair to see a boy gripping a toad. One could dare to call it an embrace. He was sort of using it like a shield before his face. But behind him was Harry Potter! She stared. She simply could not tear her eyes from him. But then he stared to. But not for the same reasons.

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Thanks for reading. If you got this far. Oh and please do review. 


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